Abstract: For their pump drive dishwashers are usually equipped for reasons of cost only with an unregulated asynchronous motor which however is temperamental in terms of the sealing requirements involved, and a simple controller operating circuit (13) for executing the functional program because a rotary speed-controllable drive could not comply with the price limit which is preset by the market. However rotary speed control would be highly desirable in terms of the level of efficiency, energy demand and the generation of noise. In order to embody a dishwasher with a pump drive which involves a low level of wear and which is controllable in respect of its rotary speed without a substantial increase in cost, the use of a dc motor (11) with field windings (19) which can be alternately supplied with current by way of sensor-controlled switching sections (34) is an optimum.